New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday termed the hike in railway fares through surge pricing as “Tuglaki Farmaan” by the Narendra Modi-led government and demanded its roll back.

“Battling rising price of essential commodities and runaway food inflation, the latest decision by (Narendra) Modi government to impose ‘Surge Pricing’ through ‘flexi fare system’ in Rajdhani, Duranto and Shatabdi trains is a rude shock for the ordinary people of India,” Congress leader Randeep S Surjewala said in a statement.

“It is high time the Modi government realises its mistake and rolls back this ‘Tuglaki Farmaan’,” he demanded.

Surjewala’s remarks came a day after Indian Railways announced flexi pricing in its three premium trains.

According to the new fare system, the base fares of these trains will increase by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold subject to a prescribed ceiling limit.

Surjewala said the base fares of these trains will increase by 10 per cent with every 10 per cent of berths sold subject to a maximum hike of 50 per cent for all AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and Chair Car.

“This means with the rising demands of tickets, the prices will automatically increase to a limit of 1.5 times,” he said.

He alleged that the move on railway surge pricing was “an underhand tool to collect Rs 1,000 crore annually by burning pockets of honest middle class families,” who still see the railways as the only cost affective and viable option of travel despite its shortcomings.

Surjewala also said the decision of the railways to implement surge pricing from September 9, before the festival season of Dussehra, Diwali, Chhat Puja, Onam, Bakr-Eid proves “anti-people mindset” of Modi government to fleece the people of India.